The production of conventional textile fabrics is known to be a complex, multi-step process. The production of fabrics from staple fibers begins with the carding process where the fibers are opened and aligned into a feed stock known as sliver. Several strands of sliver are then drawn multiple times on a drawing frames to further align the fibers, blend, improve uniformity as well as reduce the slivers diameter. The drawn sliver is then fed into a roving frame to produce roving by further reducing its diameter as well as imparting a slight false twist. The roving is then fed into the spinning frame where it is spun into yarn. The yarns are next placed onto a winder where they are transferred into larger packages. The yarn is then ready to be used to create a fabric.
For a woven fabric, the yarns are designated for specific use as warp or fill yarns. The fill yarns (which run on the y-axis and are known as picks) are taken straight to the loom for weaving. The warp yarns (which run on the x-axis and are known as ends) must be further processed. The large packages of yarns are placed onto a warper frame and are wound onto a section beam were they are aligned parallel to each other. The section beam is then fed into a slasher where a size is applied to the yarns to make them stiffer and more abrasion resistant, which is required to withstand the weaving process. The yarns are wound onto a loom beam as they exit the slasher, which is then mounted onto the back of the loom. The warp yarns are threaded through the needles of the loom, which raises and lowers the individual yarns as the filling yarns are interested perpendicular in an interlacing pattern thus weaving the yarns into a fabric. Once the fabric has been woven, it is necessary for it to go through a scouring process to remove the size from the warp yarns before it can be dyed or finished. Currently, commercial high speed looms operate at a speed of 1000 to 1500 picks per minute, where a pick is the insertion of the filling yarn across the entire width of the fabric. Sheeting and bedding fabrics are typically counts of 80×80 to 200×200, being the ends per inch and picks per inch, respectively. The speed of weaving is determined by how quickly the filling yarns are interlaced into the warp yarns, therefore looms creating bedding fabrics are generally capable of production speeds of 5 inches to 18.75 inches per minute.
In contrast, the production of nonwoven fabrics from staple fibers is known to be more efficient than traditional textile processes as the fabrics are produced directly from the carding process. Nonwoven fabrics are suitable for use in a wide variety of applications where the efficiency with which the fabrics can be manufactured provides a significant economic advantage for these fabrics versus traditional textiles.
Various cleaning products, and specifically personal or baby wipes, are commercially available which utilize one or more layers of carded nonwoven fabrics within the construct of the wipe. Nonwoven carded webs tend to be lightweight and lacking integrity, exhibiting a poor CD elongation performance. In order to make thicker webs, multiple cards, or transverse folding of the web, also called cross-lapping can be used. As will be recognized by those familiar with the art, a precursor web formed by “100% in-line card” refers to a web formed entirely from carded fibers, wherein all of the fibers are principally oriented in the machine direction of the web. A precursor web formed by “all cross-lap” refers to a fibrous web wherein the fibers or filaments have been formed by cross-lapping a carded web so that the fibers or filaments are oriented at an angle relative to the machine direction of the resultant web. Cross-lapping a carded web enhances the overall strength of the web, as well as decreases web elongation; however cross-lapping a carded web also decreases the process speed of the resulting nonwoven fabric.
A need remains for a lightweight, yet durable carded wipe material that can be manufactured at faster production speeds, as well as exhibits improved MD to CD strength and elongation ratios.